Final Fantasy IX To Ship Sooner Than Expected

Square announced today that Final Fantasy IX will be released on July 7 (day of Tanabata, a holiday in Japan), twelve days before its original release date of July 19. The reasons given for the date change are that development is progressing faster than expected, and that the company wants to please numerous impatient fans awaiting the game. Some think that Square changed the release date primarily because the publisher wants as much distance as possible between the release of FFIX and its rival, Dragon Quest VII, which ships on August 26th.

Square also announced a reservation campaign for Final Fantasy IX. Starting June 1st, customers who pre-order the game in Digicube Convenience Stores will receive plush toys of the Dark Wizard Vivi!